Even Still // by Jamie McCarroll

In our daily lives as lovers of God, it seems as though we just cannot gain ground or stand without stumbling often. For instance, the month of June was a hard one for me. I have a 20-year-old car that my grandfather helped me get back in college. We were pretty close. He is now living in glory, so I have an emotional attachment to the car. I took it in for an oil change and noticed later it was running hot. When I took it to a mechanic, I ended up having to get a new radiator.

It was quite expensive and unexpected at the time. I remember thinking, before I knew exactly what was wrong, that I did not want to lose my car. I know eventually I will have to get a newer, more updated car. This car, ladies, has been nothing short of amazing! I know I owe all thanks and gratitude to God for it. Until last month, I had never had any major issues with it. The mechanic told me that I was blessed with that car, because usually a radiator is only good for 10 years and I had mine twice that amount of time, which is pretty much unheard of. I told him that it was totally a God thing.

I thanked everyone in that place for being so understanding and wonderful. They all could see I had been on the verge of tears and told me how sorry they were about the situation. She was not even new when I bought her. I call her the Silver Bullet. She had one owner and about 60,000 miles on her when I bought her.

So, here I am in the mechanic’s office, silently talking with God and telling Him I do not want to lose this car yet. My heart was pounding at the thought of even having to make the decision to give it up. All of a sudden, all these thoughts about how good God has been to me over the years started flashing through my head. I got this overwhelming sense of peace deep down inside, and it was like liquid honey flowing through me.

I heard God say, “I always honor my word and keep my promises. Have I ever let you down?” I quickly responded, “No.” Then He said, “If you have to give this car up and get a new one I will still be here. Evenstill, I am able to gift you something even better than the last.” I blessed His name, the automotive place, the person who told me about the automotive place, and anybody else I could think of all the way home in that car!

At this point, I know you all are thinking, “Come on, this is just a car.” Ladies, I am proof that He cares about the things that seem insignificant to others but weigh heavy on our hearts. So, that happened, and then later that month my hot water tank exploded and had to be replaced! Those were not the only things that happened either. June was a wild ride spiritually for me! It came to the point where I was literally laughing because of it all. Follow me, we are going somewhere with this post, I promise!

As I delved into I Peter 3, I was floored, ladies! When things are not going the way we want them to, we are to pursue peace and use our mouths as blessings! When we do these things, God is able to respond well as He looks upon us with approval. Below are the same couple of verses in different versions of the Bible. Let’s look at them:

“Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.” (I Pet. 3:11-12 NLT)

“…run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked;” (I Pet. 3:11-12 MSG)

“…eagerly pursue peace in every relationship, making it your prize. For the eyes of the Lord Yahweh rest upon the godly, and his heart responds to their prayers.” (I Pet 3:11-12 TPT)

I was searching for answers that day when I took my car in, but I know it was the guidance of the Holy Spirit leading me to search for peace instead. Peace, knowing deep in my heart if the car was able to be fixed I was going to be happy. Peace, knowing even though it was expensive, at least God provided a way to pay for it. Peace, knowing if the car’s engine was damaged and I needed a new car, then so be it. Peace, knowing that the Lord hears my cries and that He is never too busy. His Word says He makes it a point to look at the situation and respond.

Sometimes, it is not the way we want Him to respond. For instance, I really wanted Him to let me know my car would be fine and not to worry. He took it a step further and let me know even still He would be with me and provide what I needed if the situation was not what I desired. Before that, He reminded me of all the good He has done in and around me in my life! Can you say, “Go ahead God!” He is El Shaddai- God Almighty! I think we forget often who exactly He is and what He can do. I just wanted to remind you of that this month as we start our next series and get July off to a great start! Go forth knowing that even still He sits on the throne with Jesus at His right hand!